This falls into the category of being one of those gimmick tools that you get because it might come in handy someday. It wouldn't surprise me if it was originally one of their "special offer" things with suitable marketing hype.
It definitely has a purpose though, as it's easy to pick up and instantly do a continuity test on a fuse or lamp without messing about with dials and leads of a multimeter.
The circuitry is basic, but also quite pleasing because it uses a Darlington transistor that hints at the modern continuity testing screwdrivers that are still sold.
The Darlington transistors are a precursor to the modern super high gain MOSFETs, but inherently much more resilient to electrostatic damage.
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It definitely has a purpose though, as it's easy to pick up and instantly do a continuity test on a fuse or lamp without messing about with dials and leads of a multimeter.
The circuitry is basic, but also quite pleasing because it uses a Darlington transistor that hints at the modern continuity testing screwdrivers that are still sold.
The Darlington transistors are a precursor to the modern super high gain MOSFETs, but inherently much more resilient to electrostatic damage.
Supporting the channel with a dollar or two on Patreon helps keep it independent of YouTube's quirks, avoids intrusive mid-video adverts, gives early access, bonus footage and regular quiet Patreon live streams.
https://www.patreon.com/bigclive
#ElectronicsCreators
Maplin was great back in the 90s but they decided to turn into Tandy and concentrate on selling crap toys
I was a Maplin customer from the days when they sold kits packed on someone's kitchen table, very good value. Then they gradually outgrew themselves. Sadly a lot of small businesses in towns where there were Maplins, went bust.
I miss Maplin 😢
I wish I had kept the old catalogues, remember the artwork?
Something tells me there is a reason you stopped using it ⚡
I had one of those, it was a free gift.
Thanks for giving us all a Handy.
The big mistake was using a Darlington transistor with only 3 volts supply. A Darlington transistor has one serious disadvantage, the saturation voltage cannot go below 1 volt. So with good batteries giving 3V, the most voltage that could be across the LED and 100 ohm resistor is 2 volts. And it's even less with batteries near end of life. Some older red LEDs needed about 2 volts to begin to light up.
What they should have done is use two transistors in the Sziklai compound connection. Then nearly 3 volts would be across the LED and 100 ohm resistor. Much more sensitive and brighter, and the batteries would last longer.
maplins didn't close down they just went online only.
That thing totally needs blue LEDs and mandatory SOS mode to cycle through every time you use it.
Maplin sounds like Radio Shack in the US.
Nice, OG leatherman. Now that's a handy tool, I've had a leatherman in my pocket almost full time for the last 20+ years.
The phone number dates it to before April 1995 as that was when the additional 1 was put after the zero on PhONEday on all uk STD codes to increase the number of phone numbers as they were running out due to faxes and second lines being installed for the fledgling Internet services.
Well you never know in 50 years from now your Retro Maplin thing could be worth loads and loads of money???
Maplin was the place that helped me learn practical electronics. Some of the circuits I built from parts I bought ten years ago are still in use. Yes, Maplin was pricey, but that's the cost of being able to walk into a shop and buy a physical product. And speaking of Rolson tools, I can't say a bad word about them. Only recently I retired my Rolson flush cutters after many years of faithful service. They cost £4. I still use my Rolson steel rule virtually every day, and I have Maplin hybrid AA batteries still in use after several years of recharge cycles!
Huh. I have in my toolbox a Snap-On device of a similar nature. Have no idea how many decades ago my father acquired it.